The Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana (NT-NL) Mission Area (Synod) of the ELCA and ReconcilingWorks, the widely embraced LGBT advocacy Lutheran group, do not want you to use the words "brothers & sisters" anymore. I guess they believe they are not very "welcoming." See the tweets below.

Isn't it interesting that the ELCA seems to think they know better than Jesus, who Himself used the words "brother" and "sister" referring to His followers. That is par for the course with the ELCA.

Of course they think they know better than Jesus, whom they have called out for being intolerant, racist, and exclusive. Makes me wonder why they even want His name. Hopefully they'll just drop the sham soon.

Reply

John

7/2/2016 10:51:50 am

I don't disagree. Because the ELCA stands outside the Christian faith and our brotherhood in Christ, they have the status of the rest of the fallen creation: neighbors, people, and loved ones are apt terms for them, accordingly. It is best for everyone that they stop referring to themselves as brothers/sisters in Christ. It probably won't be long until they omit all references to God too -- which is a masculine form, which many in ELCA have already started to replace with Goddess and Deity.

Then eventually "whoever you are" will be the correct form of address for them. Or maybe, "whoever is left."

Martin Luther would surely, for denouncing this latest manifestation of ELCA apostasy (and for many other Bible-honoring reasons), be summarily booted from the ELCA. The "brothers" and "sisters" sprinkled throughout this Luther sermon would earn frosty glares of enmity from thoroughly world-pleasing ELCAnites.

". . .This is a wonderful sermon from Christ’s own mouth, not from the angels. . . .

Nothing is clearer: “I am your brother, and you are my brothers and sisters.” Or, is this some kind of heretical or diabolical teaching? The world is in the hands of the devil, not just ten times, but a hundred thousand times over, for the world not only condemns [this teaching], it doesn’t even hear it.

So rejoice, whoever can, that Christ did not rise from the dead to be our judge, but that the one who was already our friend could now be our brother, so the one who already loved us could love us even more. [Now he says], “Whoever touches you touches me, your firstborn brother.” To whom does he say this? To Christians, those who are baptized, who hear his word and believe it so they become bold and strong in faith. Mary is called his sister, the apostles [his brothers], and we [his brothers and sisters], despite the fact that we are sinners who have abandoned [him]. What this means is that the heavenly kingdom has begun, the resurrection has happened, the Head is already out [of the grave]—and, in faith, so are we, in our souls; only the body [remains bound to death]. All Christians are already more than half [raised]! For Christ [is raised], and [with him] their souls. Only the sack [remains], in which the soul is held. But the body, too, [will be raised], after the Head has been taken away. The soul, i.e., the kernel, [is already raised with Christ]; and the shell will not remain behind.

Thus, we learn firmly to believe that we are raised with Christ and transferred with him into heaven, that we are already more than halfway to [eternal] life. This is certain because he is our brother and we are his sisters and brothers. May the merciful God help us, that we may believe this and rejoice!"

Of course, Luther recognized only the two sexes created by God. "Gender-nonconforming" would have been as foreign a term to him as "Word of God" is to today's ELCA.

"In the first part we shall consider which persons may enter into marriage with one another. In order to proceed aright let us direct our attention to Genesis 1 [:27], “So God created man . . . male and female he created them.” From this passage we may be assured that God divided mankind into two classes, namely, male and female, or a he and a she. This was so pleasing to him that he himself called it a good creation [Gen. 1:31]. Therefore, each one of us must have the kind of body God has created for us. I cannot make myself a woman, nor can you make yourself a man; we do not have that power. But we are exactly as he created us: I a man and you a woman. Moreover, he wills to have his excellent handiwork honored as his divine creation, and not despised. The man is not to despise or scoff at the woman or her body, nor the woman the man. But each should honor the other’s image and body as a divine and good creation that is well‑pleasing unto God himself."

Iowa civil rights commission put out a notice that churches have to allow anyone to use any bathroom they want. So men can use the girls bathroom inside a church. Also, a church can be sued if the people there don't refer to someone by their current "gender identity". Recall that the mayor of Houston Texas subpoenaed the sermans of churches to see if they said forbidden words. Iowa can do that now.
http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/10015

Reply

B. Hibbert

7/11/2016 08:10:43 pm

ELCA members may recall that the church they choose to support has lobbied to make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of gender identity.* Now they can see the consequences of their actions (or their passivity), when the government forces all businesses, schools, and churches to allow men to use the ladies' room, boys to use the girls' shower, etc.**

*See for example:
"The Trans Lutheran Church in America" (5/10/2016) http://www.exposingtheelca.com/exposed-blog/the-trans-lutheran-church-in-america
"ELCA Bishop Wants Transgender Students To Be Allowed To Use Opposite-Sex Showers and Bathrooms" (2/25/2016) http://www.exposingtheelca.com/exposed/blog/archives/02-2016
"NC Synod of Lutherans Calls for Repeal of House Bill 2" http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article/81829422.html